About developmental regression
Developmental regression is when children lose a skill or skills that they’ve already learned, like walking or talking. Developmental regression can happen at any age. It might be related to a serious underlying medical condition.
Skill loss can be full – for example, when a child who can say many words stops talking completely. Or skill loss can be partial – for example, when a child loses some words and doesn’t learn others to replace them.
Skill loss can also be quick or slow. For example, a child might stop talking within a day or over months.
Developmental regression isn’t when children stop using some skills as they develop more advanced ones – for example, when babies replace crawling with walking. It also isn’t when children lose skills because of traumatic or stressful life events but regain the skills later. For example, this might happen when a 4-year-old child starts talking like a baby after the death of a parent, but their talking skills return with time.
Developmental regression isn’t the same thing as developmental delay. But children who have developmental delay can experience developmental regression too.
Developmental regression is also called loss of skills or loss of developmental milestones.
Signs of developmental regression
Children develop different skills at different ages. This means that signs of developmental regression are related to your child’s age or stage of development.
Babies, toddlers and preschoolers
Your child might have developmental regression if they’ve had and lost skills like:
- babbling, making noises, saying single words or using gestures
- being interested in playing with others
- using fingers to grab, pick up and handle objects
- crawling, standing, walking or moving.
School-age children, pre-teens and teenagers
Your child might have developmental regression if they’ve had and lost skills like:
- saying words, talking or using gestures
- understanding verbal instructions or gestures
- interacting with others or being interested in others
- walking, running or moving
- dressing or undressing, tying shoes, showering or brushing teeth on their own
- focusing and paying attention
- writing, reading, maths, time management or organisational skills.
What to do for children and teenagers with signs of developmental regression
It’s important to trust your instincts and seek help if you notice your child showing signs of developmental regression.
Talk to your child and family health nurse or GP.
They might refer your child to a specialist doctor to confirm whether your child has developmental regression. Depending on your child’s skill loss, you might see one or more of the following doctors:
- Paediatrician – this doctor can help if your child has lost developmental skills, including social, language, daily living or school-based skills.
- Neurologist – this doctor can help if the skill loss seems to be caused by problems with your child’s brain or nervous system.
- Clinical geneticist – this doctor can help if the skill loss seems to be caused by a genetic condition.
- Metabolic specialist or endocrinologist – this doctor can help if the skill loss seems to be caused by problems with your child’s metabolism.
- Psychiatrist or other mental health professional – this doctor can help if there are concerns about your child’s mental health.
Children and teenagers with skill loss might also have mental health problems in childhood or mental health problems in adolescence. For example, a child who can’t communicate like they used to might develop very low mood. If you’re concerned about your child’s mental health, it’s important to talk to your child’s doctor about your child’s mental health as well as their skill loss.
Diagnosing developmental regression in children and teenagers
The specialist doctor will ask you questions about your child’s skill loss. For example, they might ask:
- what skill your child has lost
- how long the skill has been gone for
- what skills your child had before they lost the skill.
The doctor might also ask you what was happening at the time your child lost the skill. You might want to find photos or videos of your child from this time to help you remember.
The doctor will do a full physical examination. They might recommend tests, including a saliva test, a blood test, a urine test or an electroencephalogram (EEG). The doctor might recommend a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan of your child’s brain.
The doctor might also recommend a hearing assessment by an audiologist or an eye examination by an optometrist, depending on what skill your child has lost.
When developmental regression is diagnosed early, children can get early treatment and support too.
Treatment and support for children and teenagers with developmental regression
Your child’s doctor will recommend appropriate treatment for your child based on the cause and type of skill loss. Your child might need medicine and other therapies.
Your child’s treatment might involve different types of health professionals. For example:
- A speech pathologist might help your child with their communication skills.
- An occupational therapist might help your child with their movement skills and daily activities like showering or dressing.
- A psychologist might help your child with their behaviour and learning.
Your child’s doctor will also talk with you about how you can best support your child’s treatment at home.
Depending on your child’s needs, they might be eligible for support from the NDIS.
Treatment and support aims to help your child take part in activities at home, school or work or in the community.
It can be upsetting to watch your child lose skills, so it’s important to look after yourself too. Looking after yourself physically, mentally and emotionally is good for you, and it’s good for your child and family. When you’re well, you’ll be better able to care for and support your child and family.
Developmental regression and other conditions
Children with the following conditions often have developmental regression, before or after diagnosis:
- autism
- childhood dementia conditions, like mucopolysaccharidosis.
- developmental and epileptic encephalopathies (DEEs), like Landau Kleffner syndrome
- Down syndrome
- Phelan-McDermid syndrome (PMS)
- Rett syndrome.
Autistic regression is when children or teenagers lose communication and social skills and are later diagnosed with autism.